Chapter 26: Trouble in Jiang Wencheng’s Household

Since today was such a joyous occasion, the brothers naturally needed to return home early to share the good news. Yan Chaonian urged them, "Once you return, consult with your grandfather and decide on the person to be sent to the Jinyue Bureau as soon as possible."

Li Chun felt a bit embarrassed. Since Yan Chaonian had secured this opportunity, it didn't seem right for their Li family to take advantage of it. "Shouldn't brother-in-law go instead? He served as an official in the past and is much more knowledgeable."

"Don't drag me into this." Father Yan was naturally unwilling; he had grown disillusioned with the imperial court and was quite fond of his current life.

Yan Chaonian insisted, "It is better for the Li family to provide the person. Let's settle it at that."

Mother Yan urged them to hurry, "Go back quickly and share the good news with the old man. Once the person is decided, send them over so your brother-in-law can provide some guidance. We don't want them looking foolish for not knowing anything when the time comes. Remember, they must be literate. It's useless to send someone who doesn't know a single character."

"That goes without saying."

As the Li brothers hurried away, Mother Yan began to scold Father Yan. He, however, was not annoyed; he happily brought out the tea leaves he had pan-roasted. "I used the finest leaves, and I roasted them myself. I’ll brew a cup for you to taste in a moment."

Mother Yan made no effort to hide her disdain, but little Xun'er was happily embracing his grandfather, calling out "Horse, horse!" Father Yan immediately began playing horse with his precious grandson, casually asking why he hadn't seen his son-in-law. "Is everything alright?"

"He went out and said he would be back for lunch. I don't know what kind of errand it is, but it doesn't give him a moment to breathe." Mother Yan felt sorry for her son-in-law, but Father Yan remarked that a good man should defend his country and fight on all fronts. "The situation in the Southwest is complex; he ought to be busy. He is a man of capability."

"Does a capable man not deserve a rest?"

"He just returned from the battlefield and is still nursing wounds. Anyone else with such severe injuries would be lying in bed, slowly recovering."

Mother Yan felt frustrated; not a single person in this household gave her any peace of mind. "Hurry and go wash up. You look filthy; you're not fit to hold your grandson."

Father Yan smiled as he held the child. "I'll go wash up now, and I'll come back later to play with my dear grandson. I even brought you two little grey rabbits."

The two small wild rabbits were kept in a cage and quickly won over little Xun'er, who kept calling out, "Bunny, bunny!" When a maid brought some vegetable leaves for him to feed them, he became completely enamored.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wencheng went to the government office once again, demanding that they investigate the bandits and recover the stolen carriage and horses. He also insisted that they apprehend the master thief and retrieve the lost items.

The entire government office was in agony. The thief had left behind absolutely no clues, and they had gained nothing after searching for several days. As for the carriage, it had simply vanished. Logically, such a large object should be difficult to hide, but since they hadn't found it, they could only guess it had been burned for firewood. As for the horses, not a single hair had been seen.

The government office was most skilled at stalling, but Jiang Wencheng was well-versed in these tactics. When he was in the capital, he had served in the Capital Prefecture Office. He brought up the names of various high-ranking officials from the capital and insisted on personally overseeing the capture of the thieves, turning the office upside down.

"Master, that piece of brocade was delivered to the Jinyue Bureau. They say it is to be sent to the capital as an offering to the Empress Dowager."

After Cui Yong made a round of inquiries, he discovered the whereabouts of the brocade. Upon learning that their objective was the same as his own, Jiang Wencheng’s face darkened. Even if Wen Zhen returned to verify his identity, he could not force the Jinyue Bureau to hand over that piece of fabric.

Cui Yong then presented two letters. "Family letters just arrived from the capital. Please take a look, Master."

The words in the first letter were from Jia Ruzhen. As he unfolded the paper, his expression darkened visibly. Cui Yong glanced at it quickly and silently stepped back. The letter stated that ten days after Jiang Wencheng left the capital, Jia Ruzhen discovered she was one month pregnant. It should have been a happy occasion, but a conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law regarding the education of the second son, Jiang Zhiyuan, led to Jia Ruzhen suffering a miscarriage. Madam Jiang took the opportunity to take Jiang Zhiyuan into her own courtyard for his education, forbidding Jia Ruzhen from visiting. Jia Ruzhen’s letter demanded he return immediately.

The second letter was from Madam Jiang. She wrote that since Jia Ruzhen was pregnant, she, as a mother-in-law, had kindly wanted to lighten her burden by personally educating her grandson, also because she felt lonely and wanted his company. She claimed Jia Ruzhen was relentless and spoke rudely, and in the ensuing struggle while trying to punish the young Jiang Zhiyuan, the miscarriage occurred. Madam Jiang wrote that Jia Ruzhen’s temperament had changed drastically, and she feared for her grandson, so she kept him by her side. Now, she felt she was the culprit; if not for her misguided kindness, Jia Ruzhen wouldn't have lost the child. She claimed she wanted to atone for her sins by becoming a nun, spending the rest of her life in front of a flickering lamp and ancient Buddha. She demanded that Jiang Wencheng return to the capital immediately to take over the family affairs so she could leave without any lingering worries.

After reading both letters, Jiang Wencheng felt a splitting headache. For some reason, Ruzhen just couldn't get along with his mother; in managing the inner household, she was far less trouble-free than the Yan woman. At this moment, he could already imagine the chaos in the manor. If he went back, he would be caught in the middle of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law feud, but if he didn't return, he didn't know what kind of disaster might erupt. The Flying Eagle Fortress was not to be trifled with, and his mother-in-law was even more sharp-tongued.

"Master, is there trouble in the capital?"

Cui Yong felt anxious for him. Before the old Count passed away, he had submitted several memorials requesting that the eldest master inherit the title, but no word had come even after his death. Years ago, the eldest master had been quite ambitious and handled his duties well, earning praise from the Emperor. Unfortunately, the rumors surrounding his affairs with the current Madam Jia, combined with the inexplicable divorce of Madam Yan, led to many memorials impeaching him, causing him to lose his post.

Because of this, even though years had passed and the count’s mansion had no count, the eldest master could not inherit the title and remained just a "Master." Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of coming to the Southwest to suffer.

Jiang Wencheng set the two letters together and lit them, quickly turning them to ash. "Just some trivial household matters."

"You go and find another piece of fabric suitable for presentation to the Empress Dowager."

Cui Yong felt bitter inside; his purse was empty, so what could he use to find such a thing? "This servant will inquire into it as soon as possible."

He said "inquire," not "find." Jiang Wencheng understood what he meant but said nothing. As long as Wen Zhen returned, money would not be a problem.

Over the next two days, acting as a steward for a noble household, Cui Yong frequently visited smaller silk workshops in the city, using the pretext of searching for rare brocades to ask them to bring out their hidden treasures. Unfortunately, the brocade competition had just ended, and any fine items had already been displayed and sold. What they had left simply could not compare to the winning piece from the Chaojin Workshop.

The news quickly reached the ears of the Li brothers, who then told Yan Chaonian. These past two days, Yan Chaonian had felt refreshed and in high spirits, and in this good state, she had found new inspiration.

"As long as he doesn't appear in front of me, I will pretend he doesn't exist."

"Come to think of it, was his carriage not your handiwork?"

The brothers shook their heads, indicating it really wasn't them. They could bribe a thief to steal quietly, but they lacked the skill to act in broad daylight.

Having ruled them out, Yan Chaonian knew who had done it, but she did not intend to intervene, trusting they could handle it themselves.

"Who is going to the Jinyue Bureau? Have you decided yet?"